Ok, I've had this aquarium for a few years, considering it uses nothing outside of space, it's not important right now. Yes, I've had aquariums in the past, I know how to take care of fish, I've even bred fish, they were the only pet that I could have when I was a kid. I even cured a sick Black Molly of ICH, where others would do nothing.

Crabs? No thanks.

What about lizards and snakes? Some people like keeping them, although they too take a lot of work.

What really bothers me about snakes as pets, in particular, is that they
end up living in a "box" that is way too small for them. If they're not
going to get very big, then a large terrarium would be okay. Same for
lizards. They need some room to move around.

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~Sue~

Even so I still buy all my furniture used, simply because around here you get better quality for less money.

You often find that "old fashioned" furniture is made to a much higher quality than modern mass produced stuff, and that good quality second hand items are indeed a better buy.

The only thing that bothers me about used furniture is the cleanliness factor.

Eric and I got a real steal on an extremely well made used dining room set about 15 years ago. The components are SOLID!!! They really don't make furniture like that anymore... at least not in an affordable price range.

Instead of "wear and tear", we prefer to refer to age marks on the finish as "patina". We've had many a happy meal with family and with friends around that table.

I've also heard things like age marks referred to as "character."

---

~Sue~

Even so I still buy all my furniture used, simply because around here you get better quality for less money.

You often find that "old fashioned" furniture is made to a much higher quality than modern mass produced stuff, and that good quality second hand items are indeed a better buy.

The only thing that bothers me about used furniture is the cleanliness factor.

Eric and I got a real steal on an extremely well made used dining room set about 15 years ago. The components are SOLID!!! They really don't make furniture like that anymore... at least not in an affordable price range.

Instead of "wear and tear", we prefer to refer to age marks on the finish as "patina". We've had many a happy meal with family and with friends around that table.

I've also heard things like age marks referred to as "character."

My Lane Bryant sofa/recliner has a steel frame, which like most of My furniture I inherited, unfortunately the mounting for the center cushion is partly broken, this probably happened cause My Mom and then later My Nephew used the sofa as a bed, Mom couldn't lay on Her bed cause of a car accident, then My Nephew stayed with My Brother and Me, while My Nephew was a long haul trucker, this ended in 2004.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

One of the biggest rip-offs in recent times is where shops take brand new furniture and deliberately mess it up to look older

They do that with jeans too, and I think it's ridiculous.

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

We have free-cycle out here too. Eric and I divested ourselves of a bulky entertainment center that way. The recipients were going to re-purpose it into a wardrobe. It was a win-win.

Quicker than free-cycling is just leaving things on the curb with a sign "free". This probably only works in urban areas with high traffic flow. Eric and I upgraded our coffee table a few years ago. We brought the old one out to the curb and it was gone very quickly.

I think it is important not to clutter up landfills with items that may be of use to another person.

---

We have free-cycle out here too. Eric and I divested ourselves of a bulky entertainment center that way. The recipients were going to re-purpose it into a wardrobe. It was a win-win.

Quicker than free-cycling is just leaving things on the curb with a sign "free". This probably only works in urban areas with high traffic flow. Eric and I upgraded our coffee table a few years ago. We brought the old one out to the curb and it was gone very quickly.

I think it is important not to clutter up landfills with items that may be of use to another person.

I put a Lazyboy recliner outside that I could no longer use, it was gone within a day, the recliner would have needed new springs in the upper part of the recliner, beyond that it was ok.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

We have a designated week every six months as a junk set-out period, and the city comes to pick it all up. I don't like to see stuff placed by the curb on random other days of the year because it looks tacky even though as you all have said it disappears as quickly as a vulture can swoop. It's amazing the radar the scavengers have on them. ;~)

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

Around here when ever I put out old computer
parts for the "bulk" pick up they are all gone
by morning before the truck comes. Also old
chairs and other things like that....



edit:
This is all very amusing for me as this house
is not what some may call, "Well resourced".

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The SCN (Scavenger Communications Network) is one of the fastest communications networks known, there being no delay between you placing an object by the kerbside and at least one scavenger knowing about that object's presence. As soon as one scavenger knows all other scavengers on the SCN know about it. There is however the SID (Scavenger Investigation Delay) which is the random time delay apparent between the announcement on the SCN and a SA (Scavenger Agent) performing an inspection. If the SA determines that the object is worthy of SAGA (Scavenger Agent Grab Activity), then that SA performs the SAGA and informs the SCN that the SAGA has been completed, or informs the SCN that that object is still available informed and other SAs will inspect with the prospect of completing the SAGA.

---

Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

Hey I got some good news today!

What is it?

One of My credit card companies that I have a card with, has doubled My limit from $500 to $1000...

What am I going to do with that?

Nothing, I'm going to let it help My credit score and continue on as normal, I am tempted, but not enough to worry about.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

That is good, one with your finances can not afford to pay interest on any loans, you need the money.

---

That is good, one with your finances can not afford to pay interest on any loans, you need the money.

The point is that I want My credit score to go up, the extra money is nice, but would not help Me much in the long term if I spent the money now.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

In the UK there are two main ways credit ratings are assessed, the first is on how someone repays their existing debit (credit cards, bank loans, mortgages and so on), the second looks at those, but adds into the calculation the regularity of saving. In the second type of calculation two people with the same income, and the same debit profile (money owed, maintenance of payments etc), but one saves regularly and the other doesn't; the regular saver will score more highly than the other.

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

Chris, please, you don't know what you're are babbling about in this case.

1. This increase was going to happen, since the card issuer said they would do so after 7 months of Me paying at least the minimum of $35 a month, I've kept My end of the contract, so they did what they promised they'd do.

2. Now I can say cash, since the card can be used at an ATM to get cash out or to be used as a credit card.

3. Just cause the $500 is there, does not mean I'm going to do anything active with the $500, on the contrary, I'm more interested in seeing My credit score go up, what I could buy I will, eventually, I'm patient, very patient, so I'm just going to use the card as if it still had a $500 limit, if I wasn't I would have already spent it...

4. I'm satisfied that I have gotten all the hard to get bits already, the rest I can take My time in getting.

Credit Karma(it's FREE)

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Credit Karma(it's FREE)

That's a great website. I've used it for several years. They provide Transunion and Equifax's credit reports for free. It's a great way to keep an eye on things.

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The mind is a weird and mysterious place

I will have them all paid off by 2017, about 1.5 years from now in fact.

Vic the point is how much interest will you have paid in that time? The interest is money that you could have spent on things you need or want.

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Vic, if you use that card (with its extra credit limit) to get cash out of an ATM all you are doing is adding to the amount owed on that card. You are then diving deeper into debt, and debt is the reason that you had to come to an agreement with the card issuing company in the first place - they WANT you to be deeper in debt as that is how they make their money, they couldn't care less about your plans to buy a house, improving your lot.
Cut up the bit of plastic and NEVER use it again, either to get money out of an ATM, or to buy anything.

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

I will have them all paid off by 2017, about 1.5 years from now in fact.

Vic the point is how much interest will you have paid in that time? The interest is money that you could have spent on things you need or want.

If you or anyone else wants to talk about credit card interest, take it elsewhere.

@ Rob, no more, see this post.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Vic, if you use that card (with its extra credit limit) to get cash out of an ATM all you are doing is adding to the amount owed on that card. You are then diving deeper into debt, and debt is the reason that you had to come to an agreement with the card issuing company in the first place - they WANT you to be deeper in debt as that is how they make their money, they couldn't care less about your plans to buy a house, improving your lot.
Cut up the bit of plastic and NEVER use it again, either to get money out of an ATM, or to buy anything.

Do you mind?

I didn't say that I would, ok???

The limit was upped as I said earlier, stop, stop, STOP!!!!

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Yes, I DO MIND.
I mind so much that I want to see you in a better house
I mind so much that I do NOT want to see you paying off card debts for many years to come.
I mind so much that I want to see you loosing weight.
I mind so much that I want to see your health improving.

Yes Vic, I do mind.

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?